- 


MORE  CARE  IS  NEEDED 

IN  HANDLING 
WESTERN  CANTALOUPES 


GEORGE    L.   FISCHER, 
Investigator, 

and 

ARTHUR    E.    NELSON, 
Assistant  in  Marketing 


UNITED    STATES    DEPARTMENT    OF    AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU  OF  MARKETS 

CHARLES   J.   BRAND,   Chief 


Markets   Doc.    it 


Washington,    D.    C. 


May,   1918 


SUMMARY. 

E  annual  production  of  cantaloupes  in  the  western  states 
of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  California,  Nevada,  and  Colorado 
is  approximately  4,000,000  standard  crates  of  45  melons  each. 

More  than  10  per  cent  of  these  melons  reach  the  consumer 
so  green  that  they  are  practically  worthless  for  food. 

To  insure  desirable  eating  and  keeping  quality,  western  can- 
taloupes for  long-distance  shipment  should  be  picked  just  be- 
fore they  reach  the  full-slip  stage  of  maturity. 

The  carrying  and  keeping  quality  of  cantaloupes  is  directly 
dependent  upon  the  care  exercised  in  harvesting  and  preparing 
them  for  shipment. 

Many  weaknesses  in  present  commercial  practices  can  be 
corrected  readily,  and  serious  losses  from  deterioration  or  spoil- 
age prevented. 

The  most  careful  handling  of  cantaloupes  is  as  essential  in 
all  operations  of  distribution  to  dealers  and  consumers  as  in 
preparing  the  melons  for  shipment. 

The  time  which  elapses  between  picking  and  loading  of  canta- 
loupes into  iced  refrigerator  cars  determines  very  largely  the 
amount  of  overripe  and  decayed  melons  delivered  at  the 
markets. 

After  picking,  cantaloupes  should  be  loaded  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible into  iced  refrigerator  cars  for  shipment. 

Cantaloupes  should  not  be  wrapped.  Wrapped  cantaloupes 
do  not  refrigerate  as  well  in  transit  nor  do  they  reach  con- 
sumers in  as  good  condition  as  do  cantaloupes  not  wrapped. 


MORE  CARE  IS  NEEDED  IN  HANDLING  WESTERN 
CANTALOUPES. 


CONTENTS. 
Page. 


General  considerations 

Cantaloupes    for    long-distance    shipment 

should  be  picked  just  before  full  slip.... 

Cantaloupes  should  be  handled  more  care- 


fully 


Page. 


Cantaloupes  should  be  loaded  into  iced 
refrigerator  cars  as  soon  as  possible 
after  picking 7 

Cantaloupes  should  not  be  wrapped 8 


GENERAL  CONSIDERATIONS. 

United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  estimated  the  total 
cantaloupe  production  of  the  United  States  for  1916  at  approxi- 
mately 8,000,000  standard  crates  of  45  melons  each.  The  total  produc- 
tion for  1917  was  forecasted  on  July  1,  1917,  at  an  increase  over  1916 
ef  over  half  a  million  crates.  Of  the  total  annual  production,  4,000,000 
crates,  or  approximately  one-half  of  the  crop,  is  produced  in  the  States 
of  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Nevada,  and  California.  The 
larger  part  of  the  crop  from  these  Western  States  is  shipped  to  Middle 
Western  and  Eastern  markets. 

The  requirements  and  commercial  practices  of  harvesting  and  pre- 
paring cantaloupes  for  shipment  are  similar  in  most  respects  in  all  of 
the  large  producing  sections  of  the  West.  This  is  especially  true  with 
regard  to  the  fundamental  factors  of  maturity  at  time  of  picking,  the 
care  exercised  to  prevent  injury  in  all  handling  operations,  the 
wrapping,  and  the  promptness  with  which  cantaloupes  are  loaded  for 
shipment. 

During  the  shipping  season  of  1916  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture  conducted  some  preliminary  investigations  to  deter- 
mine the  relation  of  the  commercial  practices  of  harvesting  and  pre- 
paring cantaloupes  for  shipment  to  carrying  and  keeping  qualities  in 
transit  and  during  distribution  to  consumers.  These  investigations 
were  continued  on  a  more  extensive  scale  during  the  shipping  season 
of  1917  in  the  principal  producing  sections  of  California,  Arizona,  and 
Colorado,  and  at  centers  of  consumption,  including  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, and  Pittsburgh,  in  order  to  demonstrate  the  practicability  of 

3 


4  MOKK    t'.YKK    XKKDKD    IN     HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 

improving  the  present  commercial  handling  practices  and  thereby 
reducing  losses  in  transit.  This  publication  presents  some  of  the  more 
important  results  of  these  investigations. 

CANTALOUPES   FOR    LONG-DISTANCE    SHIPMENT    SHOULD    BE    PICKED 
JUST   BEFORE  FULL  SLIP. 

It  has.  been  ascertained  through  careful  investigation  that  at  certain 
periods  fully  one-fourth  of  the  cantaloupes  are  so  immature  when  they 
reach  consumers  that  they  are  not  palatable  or  even  of  fair  eating 
(juality.  This  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  often,  in  fact  usually, 
cantaloupes  are  picked  so  immature  that  they  do  not  ripen  properly 
after  arrival  at  market.  When  cantaloupes  which  have  been  picked  too 
green  reach  market  their  flesh  lacks  proper  color,  texture,  and  flavor. 
Instead  of  ripening  normally  they  shrivel  and  the  meat  remains  tough, 
lacking  entirely  the  rich  cantaloupe  flavor.  While  it  is  necessary  that 
they  be  picked  before  they  are  fully  ripe  in  order  to  insure  the  neces- 
sary keeping  quality  in  transit,  they  can  be  picked  at.  a  stage  of 
maturity  that  will  insure  good  flavor  as  well  as  keeping  quality. 

To  insure  the  best  eating  quality  when  they  reach  consumers,  canta- 
loupes should  be  picked  just  after  they  will  slip  cleanly  from  the  stem ; 
that  is,  at  the  full-slip  stage  of  maturity.  If  properly  handled  and 
promptly  loaded,  they  will  carry  in  satisfactory  condition  even  to  the 
far  Eastern  markets.  Allowance  must  be  made,  however,  for  a  certain 
amount  of  rough  handling  and  for  some  delay  in  transit.  As  a  general 
rule,  therefore,  cantaloupes  should  be  picked  just  before  they  reach  the 
full-slip  stage.  Such  melons  will  possess  not  only  desirable  eating 
quality,  but  also  the  necessary  carrying  quality. 

Ordinarily  many  cantaloupes  are  picked  at  various  stages  of 
maturity  before  that  of  full  slip,  or  at  what  is  commonly  called  half 
slip.'  A  considerable  percentage  of  these  never  ripen  in  transit,  and  are 
practically  worthless  for  food. 

Green  melons  have  a  depressing  effect  on  both  demand  and  price. 
It  only  1  per  cent  of  the  annual  production  in  the  Western  States 
should  be  picked  and  shipped  green,  consumers  would  buy  more  than 
4 0,000  crates  of  cantaloupes  that  have  nothing  to  recommend  them  as 
food.  Instead  of  only  1  per  cent  fully  10  per  cent  are  green  when  they 
reach  far-distant  consumers. 

If  cantaloupes  are  to  be  in  transit  10  days  or  more,  it  is  advisable 
to  pick  them  just  before  they  reach  the  full-slip  stage  of  maturity.  This 
conclusion  is  based  on  inspections  of  comparative  shipments  of  Pollock 
cantaloupes  from  the  Imperial  Valley  and  Turlock  districts  of  Cali- 
fornia to  New  York  City  during  the  seasons  of  1916  and  1917.  Table  1 
gives  the  average  results  of  inspections  of  29  shipments. 


MORE    CARE    NEEDED    IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 


TABLE  1. — Average  percentages  illustrating  the  differences  in  firmness,  color, 
decay,  ripeness,  and  "cukieness"  of  cantaloupes  picked  on  the  full  slip,  just 
before  full  slip,  and  commercially,  season  1917. 


Time  of  inspection  at            j 
New    York    Citv   | 

Just  after  unloading  from 
refrigerator  cars. 

Two  days  later. 

Viewpoint  of  inspector   . 

Dealer. 

Consumer. 

Picked  '  < 

On 

full 
slip. 

Just  be- 
fore 
full  slip. 

Commer- 
cially. 

On 
full 
slip. 

Just  be- 
fore 
full  slip. 

Commer- 
cially. 

Cantaloupes  : 
Too  SOFT  to  be  desirable.  . 

Too   YELLOW    from   stand- 
point  of   ripeness.  .  .  . 

Per  cent. 
12.7 

11.5 
.1 

> 
N 

Per  cent. 
9.7 

2.2 
.1 
ot    recprdec 
ot    recordet 

Per  cent. 
13.4 

6.1 
.3 
1. 

L 

Per  cent. 

17.7 

27.0 
3.1 
3.5 
.1 

Per  cent. 
11.6 

10.7 
.4 
1.1 
1.9 

Per  cent. 
20.7 

14.9 
5.1 
1.4 
13.9 

DECAYED    enough    to    spoil 
for  food  

MEAT  Too  RIPE  to  be  de- 
sirable    

MEAT      "CUKIE"      or      of 
tough,  immature  texture 

CANTALOUPES   SHOULD    BE  HANDLED    MORE    CAREFULLY. 

The  carrying  and  keeping  quality  of  cantaloupes  is  directly  de- 
pendent on  the  care  exercised  in  harvesting  and  preparation  for  ship- 
ment to  prevent  mechanical  injuries.  The  present  commercial  handling 
practices  are  unnecessarily  rough,  and  are  responsible  for  a  large 
amount  of  decay  and  spoilage  of  cantaloupes  in  transit  and  after 
arrival  at  market.  These  conclusions  /ire  based  on  inspections  of  com- 
parative shipments  of  Pollock  cantaloupes  from  the  Imperial  Valley 
and  Turlock  districts,  California,  to  New  York  City  during  the  seasons 
of  1916  and  1917.  Table  2  and  figure  1  give  the  average  results  of  20 
experimental  shipments  from  Turlock,  Cal. 

TABLE  2.— Average  percentages  of  deterioration  in  20  experimental  ship- 
ments of  carefully  and  commercially  handled  cantaloupes  shipped  to  New 
York  City  during  the  season  of  1911. 


I 

Just   after 
unloading  from 
refrigerator  cars. 

Two  days  later. 

.                             ) 

Dealer. 

Consumer. 

Handling  in  harvesting  and  preparation  for  ship-   \ 

Commer- 
cial. 

Care- 
ful. 

Commer- 
cial. 

Care- 
ful. 

Cantaloupe^  : 

Per  cent. 
0.5 
2.4 
Not  rc( 

Per  cent. 
0.0 
.5 
,ordod. 

Per  cent. 
6.0 
9.2 

11.7 

Per  cent. 

0.4 
.3 
3.5 

SPOIIFO  for  food  by  BRUISING  only  

MORE    CARE    NEEDED    IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 


TVMD  days  after  unloading  from  refrigerator  cars  at  New\brk. 


,  Cantaloupes      . 
badfy  decayed. 

In  crates  commercially 
handled  when  harvested 
and  prepared  for  shipment.  6.0  per  cent.1 

In  crates  carefully 

handled  when  harvested 

and  prepared  for  shipment.     Q4  percent! 


Per  cent  badly  decayed  cantaloupes. 
0    1    2345    6769   10  11  12 


badly  molded. 

In  crates  commercially 
handled  when  harvested 
and  prepared  for  shipping. 

In  crates  carefully 

handled  when  harvested 
and  prepared  for  shipment. 


Par  cent  badly  molded  cantaloupes. 
0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  6  9  SO  li  J2 


$2  percentl 


Q  3  percentB 


Cantaloupes 
spoiled  by  bruising. 

In  crates  commercially 
handled  when  harvested 
and  prepared  for  shipment.  lL7percent.| 

In  crates  carefully 

handled  when  harvested 

and  prepared  for  shipment.     3i  5  per  cent.] 


Per  cent  cantaloupes  spoiled  by  bruising. 

01    23456789    10  11   12 
I     i      i     i     i     i     i      i     i     i     i     i      i 


FIG.  1. — Diagram  illustrating  average  percentages  of  deterioration  in  20  experimental  shipments 
of  carefully  and  commercially  handled  cantaloupes  shipped  to  New  York  City  during  the  season 
of  1917. 

From  the  standpoint  of  minimizing  bruising  or  other  mechanical 
injury,  many  weaknesses  in  present  handling  practices  may  be  cor- 
rected readily  by  reasonable  attention  to  equipment  and  labor. 

The  regulation  lemon  or  orange  picking  bags,  made  of  fairly  heavy 
canvas  and  equipped  with  shoulder  straps,  are  preferable  to  the  burlap 
or  grain  sacks  commonly  used.  Sacks  without  shoulder  straps  are 
constantly  being  raised  *and  lowered  and  dragged  over  the  ground  by 
the  pickers.  A  large  percentage  of  commercially  handled  cantaloupes 
are  bruised  in  this  manner.  Bags  with  shoulder  straps  leave  the 
bands  of  the  pickers  free,  and  the  openings  at  the  bottoms  permit  the 
bags  to  be  lowered  into  the  crates  and  so  lifted  that  the  melons  will 
roll  out  gently. 

No  cantaloupes  should  project  above  the  top  edges  of  the  field  crates. 
It  this  precaution  is  neglected,  the  top  crates  when  loaded  on  the  field 
wagon  will  rest  on  the  projecting  melons  in  the  crates  below,  and 
serious  bruising  will  inevitably  occur. 


MORE    CARE    NEEDED   IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES.  7 

When  unloaded  from  field  wagons  crates  should  be  stacked  with  care 
to  avoid  dropping  or  other  jarring.  Cantaloupes  from  field  crates 
should  be  graded  or  emptied  carefully  into  packing  bins  without  unnec- 
essary throwing,  dropping,  or  rolling.  The  lining  of  packing  bins 
should  be  made  of  soft  material,  or,  if  made  of  boards,  should  be  well 
padded  to  prevent  bruising. 

During  the  operation  of  packing,  cantaloupes  should  be  placed  care- 
fully in  the  crates  and  not  dropped  or  tossed  into  place,  as  is  frequently 
done.  Injury  caused  by  squeezing  can  be  prevented  if  packers  are 
careful  not  to  force  in  oversized  melons  when  finishing  crates. 

Cantaloupes  should  be  packed  so  that  the  tops  of  the  crates  bulge 
slightly  when  cover  slats  are  nailed  on.  If  the  tops  of  the  crates 
bulge  too  much,  the  cantaloupes  become  squeezed  and  bruised,  which 
causes  spoilage  later. 

Packed  crates  require  just  as  careful  handling  as  do  individual 
melons  prior  to  packing.  They  should  be  stacked  only  on  their  sides, 
as  the  side  bulge  is  usually  much  less  than  that  of  the  top  and  there  is 
thus  less  chance  of  injuring  the  cantaloupes.  Wagons  used  for  con- 
veying packed  crates  to  car-loading  platforms  should  be  equipped  with 
springs  to  reduce  injury  from  jarring. 

The  greatest  care  should  bev  exercised  in  stacking  packed  crates,  in 
stowing  them  in  cars,  and  in  loading  them  on  and  off  wagons.  It  fre 
quently  happens,  through  accident  or  carelessness,  that  packed  crates 
are  thrown  or  dropped  into  position.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  call 
attention  to  the  serious  injury  and  deterioration  resulting  from  such 
carelessness.  This  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  handling  which 
crates  receive  during  unloading  from  cars  and  during  distribution  to 
wholesale,  jobbing,  and  retail  stores. 

CANTALOUPES  SHOULD  BE  LOADED  INTO  ICED  REFRIGERATOR  CARS  AS 
SOON  AS  POSSIBLE  AFTER  PICKING. 

The  reduction  of  serious  market  losses  from  oversoft,  overripe,  and 
decayed  cantaloupes  is  dependent  to  a  large  extent  upon  the  prompt- 
ness with  which  they  are  placed  under  refrigeration.  The  importance 
ol  prompt  loading  and  cooling  is  generally  recognized.  The  inspection 
data  of  experimental  shipments  of  Pollock  cantaloupes  from  the  Imper- 
ial Valley  to  New  York  City  during  the  seasons  of  1916  and  1917 
strongly  emphasize  this  factor. 

Table  3  gives  the  average  results  of  inspections  of  13  shipments  of 
comparative  lots  delayed  one,  four,  and  eight  hours  before  loading 
during  the  season  1917. 


MORE  CARE  NEEDED  IN  HANDLING  CANTALOUPES. 


TABLE  3. — Average  percentages  illustrating  differences  in  firmness,  color,  and 
decay  of  cantaloupes  delayed  for  one,  four,  and  eight  hours  before  loading 
into  iced  refrigerator  cars  for  shipment,  season  1917. 


Time  of   inspection   at          1 
New  York  City  ) 

Just    after    unloading    from 
refrigerator  cars. 

Two  days  later. 

Viewpoint  of  inspector  

Dealer. 

Consumer. 

Time  between  packing  and  J 
loading  into  iced  refrig-  -s 
erator  car  for  shipment.  1 

1 
hour. 

4 
hours. 

8 
hours. 

1 
hour. 

4 
hours. 

8 
hours. 

Cantaloupes  : 
Too  SOFT  to  be  desirable.  . 

Too  YELLOW  from  stand- 

Per  cent. 
8.4 

8.4 

.0 

Per  cent. 
16.7 

13.3 

.0 

'  Per  cent. 
27.0 

15.0 
1.2 

Per  cent. 
30.6 

20.9 
2.9 

Per  cent. 
34.7 

21.5 
3.3 

Per  cent. 

43.2 

26.3 
4.4 

DECAYED  enough  to  spoil 
for   food  

After  picking,  cantaloupes  should  be  hauled  without  delay  from 
the  field  to  the  packing  shed,  where  they  should  be  kept  in  the  shade 
until  packed.  They  should  be  packed  as  soon  as  possible,  and,  while 
being  hauled  from  the  packing  shed  to  the  car-loading  platform,  should 
be  covered  with  canvas  or  other  light-colored  cloth  to  protect  them 
from  the  sun.  As  soon  as  possible,  after  packing,  cantaloupes  should 
be  loaded  into  iced  refrigerator  cars  for  shipment.  The  importance 
of  this  promptness  is  illustrated  in  figure  2.  » 


FIG.  2.— Immediate  versus  delayed  loading  of  cantaloupes.  Note  the  greater  shrinkage  in  the 
crate  on  the  right  as  compared  with  the  crate  on  the  left.  The  crate  on  the  right  was  .not 
placed  under  refrigeration  until  24  hours  after  the  melons  were  picked,  while  the  crate  on  the 
left  was  loaded  three  hours  after  picking.  This  photograph  was  taken  two  days  after  they 
were  unloaded  at  destination. 

CANTALOUPES  SHOULD   NOT   BE  WRAPPED. 

Wrapped  cantaloupes  do  not  refrigerate  as  well  in  transit  nor  do 
thev  reach  consumers  in  as  good  condition  as  do  cantaloupes  not 
wrapped. 

These  conclusions  are  based  on  inspections  of  comparative  ship- 
ments of  Pollock  cantaloupes  from  the  Imperial  Valley,  California, 
to  New  York  City  during  the  seasons  of  1916  and  1017.  Table  4  and 
figure  3  give  the  average  results  of  13  shipments. 


MORE    CARE    NEEDED    IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 


9 


TABLE  4.— Average  percentages  illustrating  differences  in  firmness:,  color,  decay, 
and  mold  in  13  experimental  shipments  of  wrapped  and  not  wrapped 
cantaloupes  from  the  Imperial  Valley,  California,  to  New  York  City  during 
the  season  of  1917. 


Just    after 
unloading  from 
refrigerator  cars. 

Two   days   later. 

Dealer. 

Consumer. 

Wrapped. 

Not 
Wrapped. 

Wrapped. 

Not 
Wrapped. 

Cantaloupes  : 
Too  SOFT  to  be  desirable  

Per  cent. 
17.7 
8.7 
.5 
3.1 

Per  cent. 
15.3 

4.6 
.0 
.2 

Per  cent. 

28.8 
17.7 
22.7 
42.4 

Per  cent. 
34.0 
12.5 
4.6 

2.7 

Too  YELLOW  from  standpoint  of  ripeness  

"Two  Days  after  Unloading  from  Refrigerator  Cars  at  New\brk. 


Cantaloupes 
too  soft. 


Per  cent  cantaloupes'  too  soft. 

0  10  20  30  40 

1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1 


50 


Wrapped    28.8  percentl 
Not  Wrapped  34.0  percentl 


Cantaloupes 
overripe. 


Bsr  cent  cantaloupes  overripe. 

O  10  20  3O  40  50 

II  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  1 1  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  1 1  1 1  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  1 1  I  1 1 


Wrapped,    17  7  percentl 
Not  Wrapped,  las  per  cent| 


Cantaloupes 


50 


Per  cent  cantaloupes  badly  decayed. 
Cantaloupes  n  ip  20  30    '         40  5C 

badly  decayed.        ' ' ' ' '  • '  • ' ' ' '  • ' ' ' '  •  •  • ' '  • ' '  • ' '  •  •  • '  •  • ' '  • ' 

Wrapped,      227  per  cent.^HHHHIHHHH 
NotWrapped,    4.6  per  cent.HB 


— rt 

mol 

Wrapped,     42.4  per  cent. 


Per  cent  cantaloupes  badly  molded. 

0  10  20  30  40  50 

1  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I 


NotWrapped,  2. 7 percentl 


FIG.  3.— Diagram  illustrating  average  differences  in  firmness,  overripeness,  decay,  and  mold  in  13 
experimental  shipments  of  wrapped  and  not  wrapped  cantaloupes  from  the  Imperial  Valley, 
California,  to  New  York  City  during  the  season  of  1917. 


10 


MORE    CARE    NEEDED    IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 


Free  circulation  of  cold  air  around  each  crate  and  around  each 
melon  is  essential  to  quick,  effective  refrigeration  in  transit.  Wrapped 
cantaloupes  cool  more  slowly  than  those  not  wrapped  because  the 
paper  retards  the  free  circulation  of  cold  air  and  acts  to  some  extent 
as  an'  insulator,  preventing  the  free  transmission  of  heat  from  the 
melons. 

Two  days  after  cantaloupes  involved  in  these  studies  were  unloaded 
from  refrigerator  cars  at  the  markets,  the  wrapped  melons  were 
slightly  firmer  than  those  not  wrapped,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
wraps  retarded  to  some  extent  the  evaporation  of  moisture.  The  dif 
ference,  however,  is  so  slight  that  it  does  not  compensate  for  the  in- 
crease in  decay  and  mold  which  wrapping  causes. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  wrap  cantaloupes,  even  though  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  load  them  immediately  after  packing.  This  is  shown  by  a 
comparison  of  the  data  in  Tables  3  and  4.  The  figures  show  that  two 
days  after  unloading  from  refrigerator  cars  the  loss  resulting  from 
delay  in  loading  is  much  less  than  the  loss  from  wrapping.  This  loss 
would  naturally  occur  in  any  wrapped  cantaloupes,  whether  they  were 
loaded  for  shipment  immediately  after  packing  or  whether  they  were 
lield  in  the  open  for  a  considerable  time  before  loading,  because  the 
loss  from  wrapping  occurs  after  the  cantaloupes  are  unloaded  from 
refrigerator  cars  at  centers  of  consumption. 

Most  of  the  loss  from  wrapping  occurs  because  of  decay  and  mold 
which  develop  after  cantaloupes  are  unloaded  from  refrigerator  cars 
at  centers  of  consumption.  When,  on  summer  days,  crates  of  cold 
cantaloupes  are  removed  from  refrigerator  cars,  moisture  from  the 
atmosphere  condenses  on  the  surface  of  the  melons.  This  moisture 


FIG.  4. — Wrapped  versus  not  wrapped  cantaloupes.  Those  on  the  left  were  wrapped,  those  on 
the  right  were  not  wrapped.  This  photograph  illustrates  their  condition  two  days  after  unload- 
ing from  a  refrigerator  car.  Note  the  mold  on  those  melons  which  were  wrapped. 


MORE    CARE    NEEDED    IN    HANDLING    CANTALOUPES. 


11 


soon  evaporates  from  cantaloupes  not  wrapped,  but  from  wrapped 
cantaloupes  the  evaporation  is  hindered  by  the  paper,  which  tends 
to  retain  the  condensed  moisture.  This  retained  moisture  acts  as 
a  medium  favorable  to  the  growth  of  organisms  which  cause  the  de- 
velopment of  decay  and  mold,  as  illustrated  in  figure  4. 

Aside  from  causing  losses  through  decay  and  mold,  the  practice 
of  wrapping  is  undesirable  because  it  enables  unscrupulous  persons  to 
cover  and  pack  defective  cantaloupes  which,  if  not  wrapped,  would 
be  thrown  out.  Both  in  producing  sections  and  at  centers  of  con- 
sumption, it  is  more  difficult  for  inspectors  and  buyers  to  examine 
wrapped  crates  than  crates  not  wrapped. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    001  068  586     5 


